Planning is Everything: Fostering Success for On-site Collection Moves

Abstract

Improving preservation of and access to collections is recognized as a national priority in the U.S. Such improvements often require moving and rehousing collections. Careful planning for move projects is essential even when collections are relocated within renovated existing storage areas. We offer a case study of a rehousing project that required moving over 300,000 objects. A long-range preservation plan, informed by collections assessments and the museum's overall mission and strategic plan, guided all stages of the project. Planning included inventories, a pilot project, and research on other institutions’ move projects. The project plan specified collection packing, moving, temporary storage, and tracking procedures as well as specifications for the new storage systems. The plan allowed modifications during project implementation to handle unanticipated complications. The improvement of physical preservation and access facilitated the next step of the long-range plan: implementation of a data management system to improve intellectual control and access.

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